The Battle Of The Alamo

It all started back in the year 1933, when Adolph Hitler declared that all secret organizations were harmful to his criminal plan for world conquest. Not only were the Jews and Catholics murdered, but also ordered the Masonic hatchet man to conduct the bloody purge that was to come.

At the time, there were 85,000 Masons of good standing in Germany. Eichmann secretly issued strict orders that every single one of them would be put to death. Needless to say his orders were carried out and 80,000 Masons met an untimely death. The other 5,000 German Masons, for some reason had not had their names on on the books of the Grand Lodge, and their lives were spared. That was only because Eichmann did not know who they were. Immediately the remaining 5,000 went underground. They hid all of their Masonic records and also stopped wearing Masonic rings and pins. They adopted a little flower, the Forget-Me-Not. Therefore they communicated in this way without the Nazi's ever finding out. Ironically, this was Hitler's favorite flower and was impressed that men would wear this symbol as a tribute to him!

Eichmann never found out the true meaning of this pretty little flower called the Forget-Me-Not. This symbol of Freemasonry is still used in Germany in memory of those who were murdered trying to live up to the teachings of the Masonic Order. This certainly was a real tragedy, and from all documents and accounts, this story is true.

As early as the year 1934, soon after Hitler's rise to power, it became apparent Freemasonry was in danger. In the same year, the German Grand Lodge of the Sun in Bayreuth (one of the pre-war German Grand Lodges), realized the imminent problems facing them and elected to wear a little blue flower, the Forget-Me-Not, in lieu of the traditional Square and Compasses, as a mark of identity for Masons. It was felt the new symbol would not attract attention from the Nazis, who were in the process of confiscating and appropriating Masonic Lodges and property. Masonry had gone underground and it was necessary that the Brethren have some readily recognizable means of identification.

Throughout the entire Nazi era, a little blue flower in the lapel marked a Brother. In the Concentration Camps and in the cities a little blue Forget-Me-Not, distinguished the lapels of those who refused to allow the light of Masonry to be extinguished.

In 1947, when the Grand Lodge of the sun was reopened in Bayreuth by Past Grand Master Beyer, a little Blue pin in the shape of a Forget-Me-Not, was proposed and adopted as the official emblem of the first Annual convention of those who survived the bitter years of semi-darkness, bringing the Light of Masonry once again in the Temple.

At the Annual Convent of the United Grand Lodge of Germany, A.F.&AM. In 1948, the pin was adopted work under adverse conditions. At the Grand Master's Conference in the United States, Dr. Theodor Vogel, the Grand Master of the newly-formed UGL, A.F. & AM. presented one of the pins to each of the representatives of the Grand Jurisdictions with which the UGL, A.F. &AM. enjoyed Fraternal relations. Thus did a simple flower blossom forth into a meaningful emblem of the Fraternity and become perhaps the most widely worn pin among Freemasons in Germany, Most German Lodges present this pin and it's history to their newly raised Master Masons.

Many members of National Sojourners, Inc. have served in the U.S. Armed Forces in Germany and have learned to love and respect DAS VERGISSMEINNICHT and what it stands for.